industryterm:food demand

West African Food Systems and Changing Consumer Demands - Papers - OECD iLibrary

▻http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/development/west-african-food-systems-and-changing-consumer-demands_b165522b-en

Fueled by a burgeoning population, urbanisation and income growth, West African food demand is rapidly transforming, with striking increases in total quantities demanded, growing preference for convenience, diversification of diets towards more perishable products, and an increased concern for product quality. These changes provide great opportunities for the West African food system to increase production, value added, job creation and food security. Yet a number of structural and policy constraints continue to threaten the ability of West Africa to seize these opportunities. This paper analyses the key drivers of change and their implications on the various demands facing the food system. It then looks at how different elements of the food system respond to evolving demands, discusses the constraints to more effective responses, and finally considers some policy implications and key recommendations, particularly in the context of the ECOWAS-led efforts to develop and implement more effective regional agricultural policies.

#afrique_ouest #circulation #échanges #alimentation #commerce

Brazil, Beef Trade and the Deforestation of the Amazon
▻http://intpolicydigest.org/2016/07/10/brazil-beef-trade-deforestation-amazon

http://intpolicydigest.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/1575849225183.jpg

As population increases, our food demands are also rising and the international market’s demand for certain products is leading to some disastrous and unsustainable affects.

Despite existing policies to curb development, the demand for beef by numerous first world countries is actively encouraging Central and South American countries, Brazil being the largest participant, to cut down swathes of rainforest to create more cattle ranching.

While the situation is more complex, the basic equation is simple. A growing demand for beef will result in increased production. For countries such as Brazil, this means finding new land which comes at the cost of one of our most vital rainforests.

#viande #alimentation #terres #forêt #déforestation #Brésil #Amazonie

Massive road and rail projects could be Africa’s greatest environmental challenge
▻https://theconversation.com/massive-road-and-rail-projects-could-be-africas-greatest-environmen

http://cdn.theconversation.com/files/103159/width1356x668/image-20151125-23833-1bfkiov.jpg

If completed in their entirety, the corridors will total over 53,000 kilometres in length, crisscrossing the African continent. Some individual corridors are over 4,000 kilometres long.

Will these corridors generate key social and economic benefits, or will they cause great environmental harm? To address this question, we looked at three factors, focusing on a 50-kilometre-wide band laid over the top of each corridor.

First, we assessed the “natural values” of each corridor, by combining data on its biodiversity, endangered species, critical habitats for wildlife, and the carbon storage and climate-regulating benefits of its native vegetation.

Second, we mapped human populations near each corridor, using satellite data to detect nightlights from human settlements (to avoid lands that were simply being burned, we included only places with “persistent” nightlights). We then combined the natural-value and population data to generate a conservation-value score for each corridor, reasoning that sparsely populated areas with high natural values have the greatest overall conservation value.

Finally, we estimated the potential for new roads or railroads to increase food production. Areas that scored highly had soils and climates suitable for farming but large yield gaps, were within several hours’ drive of a city or port, and were projected to see large future increases in food demand.

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#développement #transports #Afrique #cartographie

Global land and water grabbing
▻http://www.pnas.org/content/110/3/892.full

The increase in global food demand as a result of population growth (1) and changes in diet (2) is enhancing the human pressure on the global land and freshwater resources. The increase in oil prices (3), the 2007 changes in the United States policy on bioethanol use (4), and the 2009 Renewable Energy Directive adopted by European Union (5) have increased the global demand for biofuel production, thereby further enhancing the need for land and water. As a result, some corporations and governments are investing in agricultural land as part of a long-term strategy for food and energy security (6, 7). The number of land-related deals has dramatically increased since 2005, reaching a peak in 2009 (8). In 2010 the World Bank estimated that about 45 million ha had been acquired since 2008; most of these land deals were for areas ranging between 10,000 and 200,000 ha (9). Moreover, several institutions [e.g., the World Bank (WB), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)] have reported that many deals were closed with limited consultation of the local population, without adequate compensation of the previous land users, and without seeking opportunities to create new jobs or enhance environment sustainability (9, 10).

#terre #eau #agrocarburants

Population growth and associated food demand to take heavy toll on rainforests
▻http://news.mongabay.com/2014/0116-population-growth-food-deforestation.html

The authors cite research suggesting that global food demand could double by mid-century, necessitating anywhere from 120 million to a billion hectares of new cultivated areas. Most of the expansion is expected to occur in the tropics, where land is cheaper and recent innovations have enabled agribusiness to dramatically scale-up productivity. The Amazon and Congo Basins, dry woodlands of West Africa, and Cerrado and Chaco of South America will be particularly targeted.

http://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/12/0926-drivers-of-deforestation.jpg

#déforestation #agrobusiness